Pedang III from Aceh?
 

Hi folks.

I wonder if anyone could help with some details about this piece? I believe this comes from Aceh but I have a few queries (just as likely daft beginners questions).

Firstly I have been unable to find a similar hilt in my reference material. The closest I have come is hulu ike ite, but the angle at the end is too obtuse for this.

Secondly is the deep fuller normal? Looking at van Zonneweld I don't see many swords of similar form with fullers and so I began to wonder if I'd even got the region correct.
I have guessed at pedang because the blade hardly widens toward the tip, but otherwise have gone for klewang tebal hujong. I wonder is it possible to get a definitive answer on this, or are these classifications of what is essentially a continuum?

I also hoped it might be possible to identify the pamor?

Other perhaps helpful information: Blade length 54cm, total lenght 70cm. Blade triangular in section with the blade back measuring 5mm wide. Hilt is brass and buffalo horn. No markings on the hilt or blade.

Thanks,
Chris

My gut tells me this is not a type III, rather it may be a more generic type of klewang .... possibly originating from Sumatra though . :shrug:

The pamor type is Mlumah and looks unplanned .

Hullo everybody,

Sorry, a mistake!

this is a type of klewang from Sumatra

regards semar

Thanks semar.

Yours certainly does look very much like my piece so I'm happy to call mine a Sumatran klewang :)

But I wonder is it possible to get any further with this. For example does the horn hilt have a name and any significance as to area or age? Or is it simply that the hilt shape, blade shape & metal, fuller no fuller were all just following the preferance or pocket of the owner and don't have any tribal or other significance?

Nice klewang!

It seems your pommel/handle is of the Iku Ite variety. I believe forum member Kronckew had researched the names and put together this catalogue, and he (or someone else) had a website as well http://home.comcast.net/~jtcrosby/Aceh.html

Emanuel

Thanks Emanuel - I trackled down the thread that the graphic came from. It was by RhysMichael and although I'd not be entirely convinced by the hulu Iku Ite resemblance in the graphic (which also looks very like fig 133 in van Zonneveld) there is a picture in the thread of another hilt resembling mine rather more, and also classified as hulu iku ite.

So I'm thinking I have a Klewang tebal hujong with hulu iku ite from Aceh? As far as I can see from van Zonnewald (my only reference book for this area) this type of klewang has the correct blade shape.